Night in the Woods Kickstarter charms instantly

Night in the Woods burst onto Kickstarter just recently to swift Twitter applause, and has received $35,000 of its $50k target already. Watch the video, and you'll quickly understand why. It's a new exploration game starring a cat called Mae who returns to her hometown to discover that things have gone a bit Mulder and Scully. There's something dark in the woods, and Mae gains access to an astral plane that offers new angles on a town she thought she knew well.

The Kickstarter trailer does a great job of striking the mood they're going for, has some terrific music, and brings youthful nihilism and flying magic fish together in one adventure game. FINALLY.

It's being made by two fellows, programmer and muscian Alec Holowka (creator of Aquaria , don'tchaknow), and artist and animator Scott Benson. "We're inspired by games that foreground exploration, visual atmosphere and mystery," they say on their Kickstarter page. "But where many of those games emphasize solitude, Night In The Woods takes place in a town full of colorful citizens and features a memorable central crew with their own relationships, problems and motives."